Power-hammer.



No. 639,325m

Patented Dec. I9, |899. H. WHOMES.

POWER- HAMMER.

(Application led Aug. 2, 1899.)

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POWER HAMMER.

(Application filed Aug. 2, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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3 Sheets-Sheet V3.

Patented Dec. I9, |899.

H wHoMEs PUWER HAMMER.

(Application led A ug. 2, 1899.)

TH: Norms PETERS co. vnoumuo., wAsNINGToN, u. c4

PATENT HENRY "WIIOMES, OF VVINONA, MINNESOTA;

PowER-HAMNR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,325, dated December 19, 1899.

l Application'flled August 2, 1899. Serial No.'725,918. (No model.)`

,To LLZZ zij/'wmf it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY WHoMEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winona, in the county of Winona and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Hammers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to Vmake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In a patent granted to me January 3,1899, for power-ham mer I have shown and described a structure organized and operatin g for welding flue-tips to the flue-tubes for steam-boilers and in which'the reciprocating weldingdie is carried by a piston which is actuated and controlled by coacting valves centrally arranged with and above the piston and actuated by its movements to control the fluidpower. Provision is made in this patent whereby the act of placing the tubes and their scarfed ends abutting in position to receive the welding action of thedies automatically actuates a valve whereby the inlet of the motive fluid is controlled to start and to stop'the engine, while a mandrel longitudinally slidable at right angles to the welding-die forms an anvil on which the flue-tubes are welded and the sliding of which mandrel is the means by which the starting and stopping valve is actuated.

My present invention is directed to the production of a device for reducing the ends of boiler tine-tubes as a preparatory operation to receive thereon the copper ferrules with which said flue-tubes are provided in the construction of the lire-box flue-sheet of steamboilers. 4In this reducing operation the linetube is manipulated by an attendant whose duty is to hold the tube with its end between the dies against a starting and stopping device for the reciprocating die and to turn the tube under the reducing blows until its end has been given the proper reduction.

lIn the present device the reciprocating piston carries the controlling-valve, and this constitutes a feature of my improvement and in addition to this feature of novelty my invention consists of certain novel parts and com-V binations of parts, which willy be specically set out in the concluding claims.

As illustrated, the flue-tube-reducig device is in the form at present` preferred by me, and the following is a description of the means shown as one way of carrying out my invention.

In the drawings, Figure l shows the fluetube-reducing device in vertical section with a part of the flue-tnbe'in the position it is placed and held by the attendant ready to be pushed against a plate located between the dies, whereby the hammer-die is started and continued so long as the pipe is so held under pressure against the starting-plate, the die, its piston, and piston-connected valve being in their elevated position of release. Fig. 2 shows a like view, the piston-connected die and connected valve being shown in their relative positions at the moment of delivering a blow. Fig. 3 is a front view of the reducer, partly in vertical section to show the arrangement of the lifting springs for retracting the piston and the die. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the valve-casing, taken on the line A A of Fig. l, showing the cushion relief-ports for the auxiliary valve, the body of which is shown in ring-section. Fig. 5 is a like section ot' the valve-casing, taken on the line B B of Fig. 1, showingthe exhaustports for theprimary valve, the valves be' ing removed. Fig. 6 shows the tubular primary valve in vertical and in transverse section, the piston-connected valve being seen `in cross-section to better show the relation of the annular and cross ports of the coacting employ it; but it will be understood that my A invention is not limited to the precise form and construction herein illustrated and described, as various modifications and changes may be made without exceeding the scope of the claims in which my invention is set ont.

A single casting preferably forms a baseplate and a standard, which at its upper end carries an overhanging cylinder 1, open at its lower end and preferably integral with the standard and within which the piston works. vertically central with this overhanging cylinder the lower member 2 of the dies is firmly bolted to the base, while the reciprocating die 8 abuts against the lower end of a piston 4, which fits and works in the cylinder in operative relation to the lower die. The formingfaces of the dies are the counterpart of the shouldered end of the fine-tube when it has been reduced, as seen in Fig. 2, and for this purpose the dies stand with their open ends to receive the flue-tube with its end toward the standard, so that the flue-tube extends out at the front side of the dies in convenient position for handling.

A circular spring-sustained plate 5 stands just inside of the open inner ends of the dies and next the standard and is fixed in its concentric relation to the lower die, but has a limited horizontal movement toward and from the standard. In this movement the plate 5 has two functions, one whereby it serves as an abutting gage against which the flue-tube is pushed to limitits insertion between the dies to bring it in proper position to have the shoulders formed thereon by the face-shoulders of the dies, and the other function is to open a valve 6 to the motive power to start the engine. The withdrawal of the reduced line-tube allows this starting-plate to be returned to its normal position, as I will more particularly hereinafter state.

A valve-casing 7 surmounts the cylinder, the top of which is open, whereby the chainber of the valve-casing may be made to communicate with the upper part of the chamber in which the piston works. A screw cap or plug 8 closes the upper end of the chamber of the valve-casing and has a central bore of different diameters which opens into the casing to effect the exhaust therefrom. The piston has a central screw-threaded recess into which a tubular coupling 9, Fig. 7, is screwed, which has a tubular-neck part of sufiicient length to extend a short distance up through the cylinder-opening and above it when the piston and the valves which control it are in their normal positions, asin Fig. l. In the operation of the piston this coupling-neck part 9 forms a seat,whereby the primary valve 10 is sustained in position to open the port 11 (seen in Fig. 1) for the admission of the motive liuidto give a quick descent to the piston, and this manner of forming and controlling the inlet-port 1l constitutes a feature of' myimprovement. Thetubular-necked screwcoupling part has a bottom recess 13, which opens in a vertical side slot 14- in the neck, the recess extending t-o one side of the neck and being of greater area than the bore thereof. The controlling-valve 15 is a cylindrical stern having a reduced part 16 fitting between the shoulders formed by such reductions within the tubular neck and an enlarged button 17 fitting in the bottom recess as a means of coupling the valve to the piston. This coupling is made by inserting the button end of the valve through the enlarged part 14 of the recess at the side of the neck, as shown in Fig. 7, and then moving the valve-stem laterallv into the neck-bore. This necked valve-coupA ling part can be made part of the piston; but I prefer the separate construction shown, as it gives facility for renewing the valve and piston connection in the event of breakage.

Above the neck-coupling the stem-valve has a greater diameter and has a length to extend to the top of the screw plug or cap when the piston is at its full ascent, and for this purpose the bore of the plug or cap has two diameters, the upper part 19 being the greater and the lower part closely fitting the valve-stem for a purpose which I shall presently state and which constitutes a feature of my improvement. At points about equidistant the valve-stem has transverse ports 2O 2l 22, which open into a central bore 23, closed at each end, and the top and bottom ones of these cross-ports open into circumferential recesses 24: 25, the lower one 24 of which is Wider than the upper one. .These valve-ports also constitute a feature of my invention in their coperative relation to the primary tubular valve 10, closely fitting the valve-casing and the stem-valve and having ports coperating with ports in the valve-casing. This valve is tubular,open at both ends, and has an enlarged top 12, which Works in a corresponding enlarged upper part of the valve-casing and ,constitutes the means of controlling both the inlet and the exhaust ports in a way and by means which I will now state. The lower part 10 of this primary tubular valve is of greater diameter than the top opening of the pistoncylinder, so that the latter forms the seat for this valve to cut off the motive power from the piston, as seen in Fig. 2.

The inlet-pipe 26 for the lnotive power is tapped into the side near the bottom of the valve-casing, a passage or port 27 in which enters the chamber of the casing, the orifice of this passage being formed with a vertical slot 28, whereby the primary tubular valve is caused to receive the motive fluid when at the limit of its ascent for a purpose to be presently stated. The primary valve has transverse ports 29,which open into its bore and into circumferential and interior recesses 30 30, Fig. 6, while a circumferential recess 31, forming the exhaust-port, is also formed at about the middle of the length of this valve, into which open a series of vertical exhaust-passages 32, which open at their lower ends into the cylinder-chamber and are formed in the valve between its inner and outer walls, as seen in Figs..1 and 6. The inner wall of the valve-c.^1singV has a horizontal recess 33, which is open to the ai`r by radial passages 34 for effecting the exhaust in the operation of the coactin g valves.

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`ture of my improvement.

the flue-tube.

duced end which couples the piston.

339,325 l v s 'seen that the ascent of the piston is limited by the top of the cylinder-chamber and is effected by springs 35, housed in vertical tubes 36, firmly seated in sockets 37, formed at each end of the lower-die casting and extending up into corresponding sockets 18, formed in the ends of the upper-die casting, and it is upon these springs that the upper die and the abutting piston rest, while both valves rest directly upon the piston in their normal positions, as in Fig. 1, and this is also a feataining tubes form guides'for the upper d ie, so that at both ends its movements are firmly controlled and rendered true.

In Fig. 2 are shown the shoulders 38, formed on the flue-tube by thel shoulders of the reducingdies, and the starting plate forms the gage for such shoulders, while a stem 39 on this plate, seated and extending through a sleeve 40 on the standard, abuts against the end of a stem 41, iitted in a coupling 42, which intersects the supply-pipe 26 and ,containsl supply-valve 6, closed by a spring 45. A collar 46 on the stem 41 serves to keep it in positionto instantly push and open the valve 6 when the starting-plate 5 is pushed in by the insertion of the flue-tube between the dies, while a pin 47 on the stem of the starting-plate serves by contact with the standard to limit the position of the starting-plate to the point of starting between the dies. In this Vway the starting-plate and the valve actuated by it are kept in position for being pushed in together to open the supply-valve.

The push-plate has a hub 48, which forms a bearing against the standard to limit its pushing movement, and thereby the length of the reduced and collared portion of the fiue-tube, while a pin 49, projecting from the hub into a socket in the standard, prevents the plate against which the flue-tube is pressed while being reduced from turning by the turning of the flue-tube as it is being reduced.

The die parts are bored to the exact shape and diameter that it is desired to reduce the end of the ilue, and they are then enlarged to crescent shape, (shown in Fig. 3,) the counterbore to be one sixty-fourth of an inch or thereabout larger than the full diameter of The body of the portcontrolling stem-valve I prefer to make of soft steel and to case-harden the shoulders of its re- The rear surfaces of the neck-coupling part are Valso case-hardened, so that the lost motion by wear of' these parts will be reduced to a minimum.

At the base of the enlarged part ot the The spring-conchamber of the valve-casing radial passages 50 are formed for the purpose of cushioning thedescent ot the primary piston, and this casing is firmly bolted upon the cylinder.

`Looking' at Fig. 1 it is seen that the piston and the valves are in positions in which the primary valve is raised and opened by the piston-couplingneck to form open the inletpassage into the piston-chamber. This will carry the middle valve exhaust recess 31 above the exhaust-passages 34 in the valvecasing, and thus close the exhaust-passages 32 in this valve. At the same time the piston-connected stem-valve will have its upper ports 22 open to the enlarged bore of the cap, whereby the power is exhausted from the pressure end of 4the primary valve, and the port 21 in this stem-valve will be closed by the inner walls of the tubular primary valve. It is important to note thatin this relation of the valves the inlet-passage in the cylinder is open all around the valve-stem beneath the primary valve for the passage of a large Volume of motive fluid into the cylinder above the piston, and thereby effect the descent of the piston with the required force. It is also important to note that the area of the cylinder inlet-opening is considerably less than the area of the pressure-surface of the primary piston, so that the power acting on this pressure-surface at the same time that it acts to force the piston down will also force down this valve to cut off the inlet. Itis also important to note that the primary valve has two seats-one movable and formed by the top of the piston-neck coupling to open and to close the inlet-passage and the other fixed and formed by the top of` the cylinder on which the valve closes the said inlet-passage 1l.

ln the receiving positions of the valves the motive fluid will pass into the cylinder-chamber and in thedownward movement of the valve 15 into the lower ports 29 of the primary valve into the communicating ports 2O of the central stem-valve, thence into the bore 23 of the latter, and out of its intermediate ports 21 into the upper part of the casing-chamber, wherein it acts upon the enlarged end of the primary valve, which will thereby be forced upon its fixed seat. The provision which permits the fluid-pressure to act upon the top of the primary valve when at the limit of its ascent is the slot 2S at the upper edge of the inlet-passage, which gives sufficient height to this passage to allow it to open intothe lower ports of said valves in the way stated.

With the foregoing disposition and relation of the valve-ports to each other and the relation of the valves to the ports of the cylinder and of the valve-Casin g the operation of the reducer is as iollows: The attendant places the end of the flue-tube upon the lower die and pushes it against the starting-plate, forcing it back against the standard, which thereby forms a stop to limit the length of the tube end to be reduced and, pushing back the stems 39 IOO and 41,0pens the supply-valve 6, allowing the compressed air or steam to pass into the cylinder-chamber, forcing the piston down and with it the stem-valve, bringing its lower port 2O in communication with the recess 30 on the inner wall of the valve, which allows the power to pass through the bore 13 of the stem-valve and out into the upper enlarged part of the valve chamber. The primary valve has a travel ot' a quarter of an inch to cut oft the supply before the exhaust takes place, thus saving power, while the stemvalve travels about three-eighths of an inch before its ports are full open and the two valves travel together one-quarter of an inch, and the stroke of the hammer in the example shown has a capacity to reduce flue-tubes to two inches from two and one-halt' inches.

,Under the proper pressure the movement of the hammer-die is very rapid and continuous, gradually wedging down the end of the fluetube. If desired, the stroke of the hammerdie may be made longer or shorter, as may be desired to suit the work. Oil may be introduced into the valve-casing and its valves through a tapped duct 5l in the inlet-passage and also by the passages 50 and 34:. In this operation it is important to note that the outer tubular valve has its upper end enlarged, counterbored to give a cup shape,and is formed with a circumferential rim 52,which forms a joint with the walls of the enlarged upper part of the valve-chamber, and that it is this construction which gives the valve a pressure-surface upon which the motive fluid is caused to act to depress it, that below the top rim the valve is cylindrical and has a lower circumferential groove and an inner wall groove, into which open the transverse ports 29, While a mediate circumferential deeper groove forms an open way into which the vertical ports open for the exhaust from the cylinder-chamber. The top surface gives au enlarged area for pressure, which gives an instant closing action to the valve to cut off the power and provides for the exhaust at the middle of its length. It is also important to note that the fixed connection of the inner or stem valve with the piston gives it a positive reciprocating movement the full stroke of the piston,which gives the advantage of positively controlling the three equidistant ports of this valve in their relation to the outer valve, the chamber of the valve-casing, and the exhaust-bores of the cap, and in these several particulars the construction is designed to effect the rapid movement of the hammer-die.

The provision by which the tubular-neck holder which connects the piston directly with the inner or stem valve serves also as the means of forming a seat for lifting and supporting the tubular valve in its inlet position gives the advantage of the double function of the tubular neck in its relation t0 the two Valves. It will also be observed that the pistonconnected stem -valve is maintained in its true central relation Within the open coupling-neck by the tubular valve and the tubular cap through which it passes and that by removing the screw-cap and the tubular valve the stem-valve can be inserted in its piston-socket connection and taken out when necessary. It is also important to note that while the cylinder-chamber is exhausted by the primary valve the chamber of the valve-casing within which pressure is admitted to depress the primary valve to cut oft the inlet power-passage is exhausted by the piston-connected stem-valve.

I claim as my improvementl. In a line-tube-reducing device and in combination with a power-cylinder, a piston therein and a valve-casing surmounting the cylinder, a pair of dies one ot' which is moved `by the pistou, a valve-stem centrally fixed to the piston, a tubular primary valve around the stem-valve for controlling the inlet and exhaust, a power-supply pipe tapped in the valve-casing, a starting-plate arranged between the red ucing-sn rfaces of the dies, and a spring-sustained valve in the supply-pipe actuated by the starting-plate, the latter forming a gage to determine the length ot' the reduced line-tube part.

2. In a tlue-tube-reducing device and in combination with a supporting-standard, a power-cylinderv thereon, a piston therein, a valve-casing surmounting the cylinder and a pair of dies arranged With their open ends opposite the standard, and one ot which is moved by the piston, of valves operating within said casing for reciprocating the hammer-die, a starting-plate located between the open ends of the dies next the standard, and having a guide-stem, a supply-pipe connecting the valve-casing, a spring-sustained valve in said supply-pipe, and a stem abutting the snpply-valvef-'and the guide-stem ot the starting-plate, whereby the said starting-plate serves to open the supply-valve and forms an abutting gage against which the flue-tube is pressed during the reducing operation.

3. In a device for reducing the ends of lluetubes and in combination with a power-cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-casing snrmounting the cylinder and a pair of dies one of which is moved by the piston, of a stemvalve rigidly connected centrally to the piston and having suitable transverse ports, and

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an interior bore in communication with said 4. In a device for reducing the ends of fluetubes and in combination with a power-cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-casing surmounting the cylinder and a pair of dies one of which is moved by the piston, of a primary valve controlling the inlet to the cylinder, passages controlling the exhaust from the cylinder-chamber, and a stem-valve passing through the primary valve, having a fixed connection with the piston, and transverse ports arranged to admit the power uid to depress the primary valve and to exhaust the same from the valve-casing.

5. In a device for reducing the ends of fluetubes and in combination With a power-cylinder, a piston therein, avalve-*casing surmounting the cylinder and a pair of dies one of Which is moved by the piston, of a primary valve controlling the inlet to the cylinder,

means for controlling the exhaust -from the cylinder-chamber consisting of the passages 32 terminating in a recess 3l, and the holes 34 in the valve-casing, a stern-valve passing through the primary valve, having a fixed connection with the piston, transverse ports arranged to admit the power iiuid to depress the primary valve and means for exhausting this valve-pressing iiuid consisting of a screwcap in the valve-easin g having vertical bores of different diameters into the outer larger one of which the stein-valve exhausts.

G. In a device for reducing the ends of finetubes and in combination With a power-cylinder, a piston therefor, a valve-casing surmounting the cylinder and a pair of dies one of which is moved by the` piston, of primary and port-controlling valves, the latter passing through the former, and centrally connected to the piston, suitable communicating ports in said valves, the primary valve having an enlarged pressure-receiving end and the piston -connected valve having a port opening above the primary valve, an inletport for the power iuid communicating With the ports of the primary valve, the area of the passageinto the piston-chamber being less than the area of the pressure-surface of the primary valve for operation in the Way stated.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY lVI-IOMES.

Witnesses:

D. E. TAWNEY, W. J. SMITH. 

